Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-05-28
Public SCHOOL Teachers nmd the Sum-
r,er Normal School.

MIR. EDiToR.-l have rcld with nue.
pleasure the notice and the letters ao
bearing in yonr columns, referring Il
the Normal school to he held at Powell
ton this summer. Certainly TIL re arr
few places in the State more u .propri
ale and none more entitled to IL schoo
of the kind than this thrifty, growing
and driving ACr0mac town, lying III
the lap Of the All ntlc o'ran and cl;lm
orous for notice OIL acc0 mt OF its mrr-
its. AS many of us as possibly call vii
so to Poweltoll, and will do what We
Gun 10 make the Normal interesting.
notice in the last issue OF the EN-.
rERpRIsE the Superintendent of this
county, cordially invites the teachers
from Northampton county. | am Very
glad of this us il will have tendency
10 make the proceedings more enter
tanning. | would lave been glad if tx
had invited the teachers from Norf.'lk.
Portsmouth and Hampton. Then tie
Eastern Shore teachers could get The
advantages Of professional associatlon
with the teachers across the bay. 1t
may be that some of them have new
ideas that would be OF great gain to us.
At Any rate We would enjoy meeting
them, and they would enjoy being ut
Powelton for awhile. and the Powelton
people would be glad TO have them there.
Let us hope that our Superintendent
has asked them all, if the basis Of his
appropriation will permit it.
The principal of the Hampton Public
Academy, Is II Miss Stone, from Liberty
county, Va, She has been eminently
successful in that school in the face OF
many obstacles: il she could be with us
and tell the Accomac school people how
she and those trustees lave managed
there this year, it would be Il big thing
in more ways than one. Professional
experience is valuable beyond price III
this line Of work.
I was very highly gratiled to see in
YOUR last issue, Il letter from Mr.. john
D. Parsons, mmIfesting mitch interest
in this Normal question. 1t has been
my pleasure to meet hin! only ut county
school NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Institutes
and | am sure from the interest he
on those occasions. llIal Il
more earnest ll.d efficient school officer
would be hard to find. But There is IL
clause in his letter that leads HE to
think he has un.ntemtiollally permitted
his zeal tn outdo his discretion.
Tie whole system and all the meth
DDS OF true normal training and normal
is simply tie outgrowth of the
OF some Of the best educators
in our country. There are many rXce-
lent teachers that lave i'll my mind,
who on account of the small wages paid
and short sessions for teaching, have
during the summer months li,d to pro-
cnre some avocation available, to piece
oft tic snail salary, and ob,aina sub
sistunce. Surely Mr.. Parsons cilli not
mean 10 igL0re Tie experience and ahil-
ity of such, even in his district; if he
does, II will be The worse for the schools,
The children AID the patrons. There is
no trade or profession where expert
cnce is worth more than in The school
room. And ii ought To merit its worth.
Ito not propose TO discuss this point
1T all: but if it is my pleasure to meet
Mr.. Parsons Ill PoNul,on, | will be
slad to allulle 10 this clause III his letter,
SD that the old and tie lew teachers III
his district, and from iii over the cuull-
ty, may learn explicitly from him, his
intention end end fur prematnrely u.s.
sailing tnose teachers Of experience who
may not be able for wlnt OF means, to
attend our Normal.
Ii Mr.. Parsons mans 10 say that we're
Two teachers 10 apply to him for IL posi-
ion, neither having taught before, the
one having had some Normal training,
HE other none, lie would give prefer
.nce 10 the one having Normal training.
Why, then Lave nothing more to Say
1t all. But II lie ll,;tnS u ignore pr;;c-
ical experience III preference To thco-
retic,,l normalism, then the question is
lebaiable, and the free school teachers
of this coulty havea right to 1e heard.
Very Respectfully,
q. Il. JoYNEs.